AHRC Carnivalising the Creative Economy project

Well not quite a project perhaps, but funding for an event and to make a short film. I have been awarded a small grant (£7270) to support a contribution to what sounds like a terrific day at the cool spaces of King’s Place, London, on March 12. This is the AHRC’s Creative Economy Showcase, where research projects that collaborate with the creative sectors, in processes of knowledge exchange, are being showcased.

The event I’m leading has a panel discussion of academics and leading jazz festival organisers, the academics having been funded by AHRC for their jazz and festivals-related research, and the organisers coming from festivals that value including academic content.

We are also producing a short film, by filmmaker Gemma Thorpe, featuring interviews with both sets of people.

The Promotion of Live Music in the UK: a Historical, Cultural and Institutional Analysis project (2008-11).

These projects represent a significant investment by AHRC in at least five current or recent jazz and related music festival-centred research projects, including one of the world’s the leading jazz festivals (according to The Guardian), London. Also included in the events is an AHRC strategic partner (Cheltenham Festivals). They are high-profile organisations. The festivals featured have very different organisational structures and yet each has an established track record of working with universities on KE projects.

Key aims are to explore these issues and to produce the following:

International perspectives to KE: working with European festival agencies and the benefits of networking and collaborating with pan-European networks, HERA leading A&H KE practices across EU.

Co-production: how useful are academics to festivals, and festivals to academics? What knowledges can they bring for each other? Evaluation (including Qualia), intellectual content for festivals, creative links with music departments, public engagement …